Mortar Shells Hit Russian Embassy In Damascus, Syria Says

Mortar shells hit the Syrian capital of Damascus, with two of the projectiles hitting the Russian Embassy and causing some material damage, Syrian state media says.

The state-run SANA news agency on July 16 said two shells were fired at the Russian Embassy, with one hitting the compound and the other falling nearby.

SANA said at last seven people were injured by shelling in a residential area near the embassy grounds, although it was not known if that was related to the embassy attack or a separate event.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the shelling. Rebels fighting the government of Moscow-backed President Bashar al-Assad have previously struck the Russian Embassy.

The United States and Turkey back differing rebel groups in Syria's civil war, while Russia and Iran support Assad.

Islamic State (IS) extremists have also entered the conflict and are opposed by the other combatants.

Earlier in the day, a bomb exploded near a hospital in the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib, wounding five people, including at least two children, according to the Syrian Civil Defense group, known as the White Helmets.

Figures released on July 16 by the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights indicate that the six-year civil war has killed more than 330,000 people, including 99,617 civilians.